The Past
by astateofgrace
Summary: Jasper's story when he lived in Texas with his family
1. Chapter 1

_**I've never really written fics before, so let me know what you think...**_

**1861 Midland, Texas**

**Jasper's Point of View**

**Chapter 1**

I stood in the dimly lit barn, pitchfork in hand. I continued to shovel grass into the wheelbarrow, the golden-coloured hay falling easily off the fork. I stopped and looked out of the single window in the west corner of the barn. Bright light shone through it; the only thing I saw outside was my oldest brother Connor filling up the cows trough in the middle of a dry paddock. Suddenly, my fifteen year old sister Evelyn dashed into the barn.

"Jasper, Mother says to tell you that supper is ready." Her voice chimed before she ran back out, her raven black hair billowing behind her. I dropped the pitchfork, thankful of a reason to stop, and trailed out the barn door to the house.

"Father, Andrew's enlisting in the Confederate Army," Connor said as we ate around the large family dining table. "I think I should like to go with him."

Silence filled the room as we all stopped eating after hearing Connor's comment about his friend.

"Are you sure, Connor? You do know what you would be committing to?" Father asked, his strong Texan accent filling the room.

"I know, but it's for the abolition of slavery, Father. You know our opinions on that." The cause of the War entered the conversation. A cause that Connor and I felt strongly about; in fact, we didn't have a worker in our household because of that, unlike most of our neighbours.

"Give it some thought first, Connor, dear." Mother said quietly. I looked around the room. My sisters and younger brother Thomas looked shocked. Grace, Anne, Elizabeth, Thomas and Evelyn all sat, forks in hand staring at the eldest sibling.

Connor was my older brother and my dearest friend. I couldn't let him go without me following. If he went, I had to follow.

"Jasper?" Evelyn's head poked around the barn door. I wasn't working; I was just sitting on the hay covered ground thinking.

I smiled as the second eldest girl in the family danced over and sat next to me in the hay. Out of all the girls, I had always been closest to Evelyn. She was more like a boy than the other girls, more willing to make tree houses and have play fights with Connor, Thomas and myself than Grace, Anne and Elizabeth. The others were still lovely, sweet and kind and we protected them because we loved them, but Evelyn had something that the others didn't.

"I saw your reaction when Connor said he wanted to go with Andrew. Your going with him, aren't you?" she snuggled up to me. I put my arm around her shoulder in comfort.

"I don't know yet. You know me; what Connor does, I follow."

"But what about Ruth?" she burst, mentioning the sweetheart I had had since I was thirteen.

"What about me?" she added quietly.

I had made my decision. I would go. I would fight side by side with Connor. The entry age for the Army was 20 and I was only 17, but I was tall; I could pull it off.

I was sprawled across my small bed, which I was much too big for. Thoughts of war and family flashed through my head.

"I'm going...for the slaves. For Connor." I said to myself.

A knock came from my bedroom door, and my older brother poked his blond head around the door.

"I wanted to talk to you about me and the Army." He started as he took a seat at the edge of my bed.

"I am going. I shall be leaving in two weeks." He said slowly, afraid of my reaction. I simply nodded.

"I am coming with you."

He opened his mouth to protest but then chose against the idea; there was no point to arguing with me, I was too stubborn.

"If that's what you want." He smiled weakly then left the room.

"It is, isn't it?" I thought out loud, collapsing backwards on my bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I stood in the dry paddock, looking up to the blue sky above me. Slowly, my eyes trailed to be parallel to the ground. I saw a figure running towards me, blonde hair and a plain white dress trailing behind her.

"Jasper! Ruth is here, she wants to speak with you!" Grace yelled as she approached. My heart jumped, and I dashed; Grace next to me, back to the house. I ran into the living room where Mother and Elizabeth had a fifteen year old young lady clad in a white dress with small flowers on it waiting. The dress reached her ankles, where I saw a glimpse of tiny cream coloured shoes underneath. She also had a straw hat in hand. Elizabeth, Mother and Grace quickly left the room, leaving us alone.

"You look beautiful." I commented.

"Jasper, I'm in plain work clothes." Ruth giggled.

"You always look beautiful." I answered, causing her to blush.

"Can we talk outside? I need a word." She asked to receive a nod in reply.

We lay in a clearing in the middle of the forest next to the house, hands entwined. Ruth and I looked up at the blue sky, watching small clouds glide past.

"You wanted to talk?" I asked. She hesitated.

"I...I bumped into Elizabeth and Anne at the dressmakers this morning. They tell me you're joining the Army." She became quiet the end of her comment.

"I leave in a week." I said simply.

"What about us?" she whimpered, her heart shaped face turning towards mine.

"I'll come back." I offered her that promise. She sighed.

"Are you going to marry me someday, Jasper?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course. I'll come back; we'll get married and have a house full of children." I promised.

She smiled at that and leaned into my chest, closing her eyes as she dreamed.

It was raining; the weather seemed to match the mood of the Whitlock household. The rain pattered against the plain windows, creating the only sound in the house. Ever since the sun rose that morning, the members of the large Whitlock family had been uncharacteristically quiet, having been to church that morning and then returned home. As I entered the kitchen, I saw Anne sitting on a chair at the window, staring outside as Thomas sat on her lap.

"Jasper? Must you and Connor leave today?" Anne asked after she noticed I was there. I sighed. Did they have to make it harder than it already was?

"Yes, Anne. It must be today. This is the last train to Houston; Connor and I need to be on that train." Thomas slid off Anne's lap and scuttled over to me. I knelt down to his height; he was already 10 but he was still very short in light of my height.

"But Jasper! You promised me that Connor, Evelyn and you would help be build a new fort in the paddock!" Thomas whined. My heart fell even lower.

"I'm so sorry, Thomas, but that may have to wait until Connor and I are back. We won't be away for too long."

At that, tears started to flee Thomas' eyes, slipping down his cheeks and landing with a splash on the timber floor.

"I'm sorry, Thomas. I promise, when I get back, we'll build a fort."

Thomas nodded slowly and I kissed his forehead before standing up.

"Jasper? The..." Grace walked slowly into the room. She hesitated. "The buggy is here for you and Connor." She whispered, not wanting to deliver the news. I nodded my thanks and followed Grace out of the kitchen with Anne and Thomas trailing behind me.

Stepping into the buggy, Connor and I sat and turned around to face our family; to glance upon them one last time until we returned. They were dressed in their best clothes for church; all except for Connor and myself. Our family stood underneath the eaves of the house which was a rambling old mansion of sorts; one of the few built in the early 1800's that still remained. Our father and mother stood at the back, Thomas up the front, wearing his scratchy vest and cap that he always complained about. He was surrounded by our sisters; Grace's white dress blowing in the soft breeze which caught all the girls hair. My sisters...they looked so beautiful standing there. The girls had tears running down their faces as did our mother. Thomas was sobbing with Evelyn standing behind him, her arms wrapped around his front. Her face was screwed up as she held back tears. She gave a quick wave, as did Thomas and the girls as the driver whipped the horse attached to the buggy. I looked at Connor as we drew away from the house. He had a look of utter sadness and regret on his face, but as soon as he noticed that I was watching, he drew his face into a big, fake smile. 'Are you ready for an adventure, Jasper?' he asked me. I could only nod quickly.

Connor and I were to leave the buggy at the train station in downtown Jacksonville and take the train to Houston where we were to enrol. From departing our house, Connor and I were silent all the way into town. As the buggy pulled into the main street of Jacksonville, I glanced around, taking in all the scenes of the town to remember in the war until we returned. A familiar voice caught my attention. Spinning around in my seat, I saw Ruth running behind the buggy. A plain white dress covered her and long brown hair trailed in the wind as she ran along the dusty road. Quickly motioning for the driver to stop, I jumped off the buggy and raced towards Ruth. Taking her pale hands, I waited for her to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I was busy with helping Mother doing the washing this morning; I couldn't come and say goodbye." She apologized.

"You're here now. That's all that matters." I raised my hand to her cheek and caressed it softly. She smiled faintly. I heard Connor clearing his throat loudly, signalling the time restraint.

"Must you go?" She whispered. I chuckled.

"Sweetheart, you are the fifth person to ask me that today." I took Ruth's hands again and brushed my rough thumbs against hers.

"Did they all receive the same response?" Ruth asked, even though she already knew the answer. A lone tear escaped her grey eyes and trickled down her face.

"I'll be back before you know it." I whispered, quickly wiping away the tear with my thumb. I could barely hear the bustling of the townsfolk around us; it was like everything around us had disappeared and it was just Ruth and I. Like we were the only ones in the world that mattered. Ruth hesitated.

"You...even if you return, you would never be the same." More tears escaped her eyelids.

Swiftly, I moved closer to her and held her hands against my chest. "Yes, I will, Ruth. I promise. And as soon as I get back, we will get married. I'll be the farmer who works the land and you can be the darling housewife who looks after our many children."

Ruth's face pulled with a ghost of a smile. Connor's voice once again interrupted the private world that Ruth and I had created.

"Jasper? We shall miss the train if we wait any longer."

"Of course, I'm sorry." I apologized quickly and turned back to my sweetheart.

"Ruth, you know if I could remain here and talk with you forever, I would. But I cannot. I'm sorry."

"Yes, I know, Jasper. Go, do your duty and then race back to me." She smiled at the last part after sniffing and wiping away a few tears.

"I will, sweetheart. I will be back soon. I love you...always." I kissed her hand tenderly and stepped away, never taking my eyes off her as I stepped into the buggy once again. Ruth's hands dropped limply to her sides as Connor patted my back in comfort. The driver whipped the horse and we took off again, but I barely noticed this as my eyes and my mind remained on the grey-eyed beauty that I knew I would marry when I returned.


End file.
